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Friday, May 9, 2014

Baking a Frittata

Having an abundance of eggs now from our hens, we've been eating more meals that include eggs, even for a light supper or lunch. For a while I was cooking omelets, but they were a bit time consuming, plus the work of keeping them warm. While I've made frittatas in the past, I've always cooked them in a skillet at first, which resulted in a crispy bottom layer. I was looking for something that resembled more of an omelet, but could be prepared as one dish.

Eventually I tried this method, and it resulted in exactly what I was wanting. This is a dish that my family loves and it's perfect for an easy light supper or lunch. (Breakfast too!)

You can feel free to use a mixture of vegetables to your liking, but I love the combination of mushrooms, bell pepper and kale (particularly since these are vegetables I usually have in the fridge). Begin by chopping your vegetables.

Over medium high heat, heat 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet and then add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. I also add a little salt to the vegetables while they are cooking.

Now if you happen to have access to a lot of eggs, this is a perfect recipe because it uses eight eggs! (It's kind of funny being in a position now where I'm searching for ways to use a lot of eggs at once!)

So while the vegetables are cooking, you can crack the eggs and whisk together with 2 Tbsp of water (this helps the eggs turn a bit fluffy), salt and pepper.

The vegetables are then transferred to a buttered baking dish (I used a clear 9.5" pie plate). Baking the frittata like this results in a much softer crust.

Pour the eggs over the vegetables...

And because I'm feeding my meat-loving husband a meal without meat, and my darling girls vegetables like kale and pepper, I take pity on them and add some grated cheese to the top. (Which I know is likely the reason they never complain when I make this!) But if you're looking for a dairy free version, this would be just as delicious without the cheese in my opinion.

You can then transfer the dish to a preheated 350 degree oven and bake
for about 30 minutes, while you chop some strawberries, set the table, do the dirty dishes, transfer the laundry, try to clean up toys around the house... you can see why I like this version better than standing over the oven while making four individual omelets! ;-)

Baked Vegetable Frittata

Serves 4

2 cups chopped mushrooms

3/4 cup chopped bell pepper

2-3 cups chopped kale

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

8 eggs

2 Tbsp water

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 qt baking dish (or 9.5" pie plate). Over medium high heat in a skillet, pour the olive oil and heat. Add the chopped vegetables and salt to taste (if desired), cooking and stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, water, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside. Place the cooked vegetables into the buttered baking dish. Pour the eggs over the vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese. Place baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until eggs are set.

Yum. I just featured a potato and onion frittata on my blog. My recipe uses a combo of eggs and egg whites (which I bought in a container). I wish I had an unlimited supply of eggs like you do! Eggs have gotten very expensive, especially the free roaming organic kind I buy. Yes, frittatas are a great way to use eggs and they make a nice brunch or supper. Plus, for just my husband and I, it means we have leftovers for the next day's breakfast or lunch!Claudia